Welcome to the interactive guide to the Roehampton Research Student Conference 2013. The theme for this years conference is 'Making a Difference'.
Now in it's third year the Roehampton Research Student Conference aims to bring together some of the sharpest minds from Roehampton's Graduate School. Please follow us here for more updates and information about the event.

Tuesday, 21 May 2013

Panel Two: Challenging the Arts

The second panel for the Roehampton Research Student conference will focus on
how our research 'Challenges the Arts'.

The panel chair for this
research is to be confirmed. Please refer back to this page for updates.

1) Alice Hasmik Kolandjian (Department of English and
Creative Writing)

Abstract

My
research analyzes women writers from the Romantic period that utilize the
Classics, particularly the works of Ovid and Apuleius, and tailor their own
versions of the myths to address the perception of women and gender roles of the
period. More specifically, my work focuses on Mary Robinson’s Sappho and Phaon
(1796), Mary Tighe’s Psyche; or, The Legend of Love (1805), and Mary Shelley’s
Proserpine (completed 1820). Aside from being written by women, all three
pieces deal with views that strongly suggested women’s primary place was within
the domestic realm. These works oppose characterizations of women that upheld
restrictive roles such as weakness, naivety, and passivity. Contrasting to
these characteristics, the female characters embody strong traits such as
endurance, independence, and activeness.

I
am interested in how and why these women writers use the Classics to question
gender roles. Furthermore, I am interested in what sources they use and how
they use them. My research analyzes the subtle changes made to the original
texts, what these changes suggest, and how these changes affect the
understanding of women and gender roles. The goal of my research is to better
understand how Robinson, Tighe and Shelley address the perception of women,
recreate women’s place in myths, and challenge restrictive gender models. I
will also investigate these women’s education and their access to the Classics.
Although focused on these three pieces, my research will incorporate other
significant works that connect to these works.

Brief Bio

Alice
Hasmik Kolandjian is currently a PhD English Literature Student at the
University of Roehampton. Originally from Los Angeles, California, she received
her B.A. in English from UCLA in 2010 and her M.A. in English Literature from
CSUN in 2012. Her current research focuses on Mary Robinson, Mary Tighe, and
Mary Shelley and their use of the Classics to address perceptions of gender.

2) James Davies (Department of English and Creative
Writing)

Abstract

Minimalism and Slowness.

My
practice based research is an investigation into minimalist poetry. Part of my
project seeks to define what constitutes a poetics which uses minimalism as its
primary stylistic method and philosophy. The inquiry outlines a number of key
techniques and/or outcomes which might be inherent in such poetries. One such
characteristic of minimalist poetry I call ‘slowness’. In this method poets
attempt to slow down the reading process in structural terms, making aspects of
the work spatial rather than time based. Slowness should not be confused with
writing that holds us due to its complexity or non-comprehensibility. On the
contrary, slowness directs and permits readers to have long and intense
engagements with often very simple works, works which entertain the idea of the
hyper-beautiful, the possible and which interfere with the speed of capitalist
consumption. I will outline a number of ways in which poets have done this in
the twentieth and twenty first centuries and then offer a few examples of how I
am adapting this particular method in my creative practice both in page based
and digital poetry.

Biography:

James
Davies is the author of Plants, Absolute Elsewhere and Acronyms.
In 2008 he co-founded The Other Room poetry series in Manchester and set up his
poetry press if p then q. He is studying for a PhD in Creative Writing at The
University of Roehampton with a particular focus on minimalist poetry and
writers such as Robert Grenier, P. Inman and Stephen Ratcliffe.

3) Cristina de Lucas (Department of Dance)

Abstract

Four Early Narrative Ballets by Kenneth MacMillan

My
proposal is intended to open up a debate in the role of research in the arts.
My project focuses on dance as a theatrical art and the work of a specific
choreographer but the impact my research can make both in and outside the
academia shares common traits with the research carried out in other areas such
as Film, Performance or Literary Studies. Is research in arts and culture a
matter of interest for the academic world only? Can it be of any use to
society? I will offer some tentative answers based on examples from my own
project.

My
project investigates four narrative ballets by the British choreographer Kenneth
MacMillan (1929-1992). My aim is to examine the context and internal elements
of these pieces (choice of subject matter, movement style, structure,
characters, music, design, etc.), extracting conclusions about his
choreographic devices and influences. I am particularly interested in the way
MacMillan deals with narrative. How does he develop a story? Which elements
does he use to delineate the characters? How are emotions and ideas expressed?
What is the relevance of movement? How is it combined with other ingredients
such as music or set and costume designs? These are some of my research
questions.

Biography:

Cristina
de Lucas possesses an interdisciplinary background in Law, English Philology
and Ballet Studies. In her professional career she has combined roles as
diverse as legal advisor, cultural promoter or arts critic. In addition to her
research at Roehampton, she keeps on writing about dance and cinema,
contributing regularly to several publications in Spain and UK.

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When and where?

The Theme

This interdisciplinary research student conference aims to bring together the diverse range of research taking place at Roehampton's Graduate School and the effects it intends to make.

Throughout all university departments there is an increasing focus on demonstrating the effects of research for wider scrutiny. The difference that early-career researchers hope to make, and can show they can make, is of central concern both to the success of the researcher and to the wider university. This raises pressing questions, and common connections, between research students at the threshold of contributing their work to academia, industry or public life. What goals or transformations do we seek to bring about? How can these be measured, and what problems are presented therein? Why do we seek to contribute this research, and what differences do we hope to see within our fields?